One of the best whale watch we've seen in a long time. A small independent owner who provides a…read moredelicious lunch and fabulous whale watching off of Ketchikan, AK He has a nice small boat that is extremely comfortable. And fast!! Definitely recommend that you book a trip here.

Captain Judah and Captain Chevy are incredible local guides, ready to share their hunting stories,…read moreindigenous cultural knowledge, and marine mammal facts! You get to choose from a variety of delicious locally made wraps for lunch, chips, coffee, cider, hot chocolate, waters, and cookies! This 21 passenger vessel is smooth sailing in the harsh Southeast Alaskan climate. Super safe and so much fun for families with kids, elders, and everyone in between! The crew makes sure to greet and get to know every passenger, making your experience personal and fun! As a local, this is by far the best tour you could ask for if you are seeking local experience. They will give you memories of a lifetime. A bonus to cruise ship passengers is that they are a back-to-boat guarantee excursion, which is a common issue for lots of folks with short dock times.

I flew into Ketchikan for the day today with my father and friends. We happened to find the…read moresaltwater expedition tour through the tourism booth by chance. The two hour tour was just the right amount of time for the limited amount of time we had available. The vessel was perfect for our small group (I think it seats up to six) and offered both the warmth of an enclosed pilot house and seating area and good sized decks to let the wind blow through your beard. The water was incredibly smooth today and the weather just absolutely beautiful. Our Captain, Doug was awesome! Incredibly friendly and very knowledgeable about the area the scenery around us and offered suggestions for places for lunch post tour and activities for future visits. A real class act! While we didn't get to see any bears this particular trip for they had already had their fill of Salmon with it being towards the end of the season. We did get to see several harbor seals, bald eagles, cormorants and incredibly beautiful and serene landscapes including small secluded harbors and beautiful misty waterfalls. Well worth it in my book. There was an option to add extra hours to the trip and had I had more time I'm sure I'd have done so. Next time I'll be able to stay longer. I promise I'll be back. Thank you for making our spur of the moment day trip so enjoyable. Looking forward to returning soon.

We were lucky to get on the Ketchikan Duck Tour today with Debby and Tony. Our other excursion with…read moreHolland America cancelled last minute. Debby and Tony provided a lovely, entertaining tour through the town and out into the water. Delightful 2 hours.

We docked at The Mill at Ward Cove while stopping in Ketchikan on the Norwegian Bliss. At first, we…read morehonestly weren't sure what we were looking at because it looked like an old factory of some sort. Then we found out that's exactly what it was! The owner actually ended up being our shuttle driver over to see the Lumberjack Show and shared some of the history with us. He told us his father was the last person to lock the gates to the old pulp mill when it closed in 1997. We absolutely loved hearing that he now owns the property himself -- such a full circle moment and an incredible story. The building at Ward Cove was filled with merchandise to buy such as t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, snacks, jewelry... the list goes on and on. There were even a few local vendors set up selling their goods, which we really enjoyed. We also noticed the prices at Ward Cove were a little cheaper and the taxes were less as well. We did take the shuttle bus into town, and it was a very simple process. The ride was maybe 15-20 minutes at most, and they dropped us off and picked us back up at the same location, which made everything very easy and convenient. We really wish we would have taken a video of what the property looks like now so that when we go back in a few years, we can compare all of the improvements. They also shared a few exciting things planned for the next several years, and it sounds like this place is going to become something really special. The atmosphere, history, waterfront views, shopping, and friendly people made this such a memorable stop in Ketchikan. Definitely worth taking the time to explore while visiting Alaska!

We visited The Mill at Ward Cove during our Norwegian Alaska cruise on the Norwegian Bliss, and…read morethis is the port where Norwegian ships dock instead of downtown Ketchikan. The moment you step off the ship, you walk right into a huge warehouse marketplace filled with multiple shops and tons of Alaska‑themed merchandise. There are so many souvenirs, clothing items, snacks, and gifts that it's easy to spend time browsing before heading into town. To reach downtown Ketchikan, you pass through The Mill to get to the shuttle buses, and sometimes there's even a live singer with a guitar performing while guests wait -- a nice touch that makes the line more enjoyable. Overall, The Mill at Ward Cove is a convenient and lively first stop for anyone arriving on a Norwegian Alaska cruise, with plenty of shopping and an easy setup for getting into town.

Great experience and Geat people, don't book with the ship !! Book with them directly, you'll save…read moremoney and these people will treat you right. They are nice and loving, with so many people probably coming and going it's tough to stay sweet but these people are the real deal and solid. Thanks for such a great experience!! I will definitely use them again...

Amazing experience. The staff was awesome, the service was superb and the flight was breathtaking…read more Definitely the highlight of our trip to Alaska!

Absolutely the best way to experience Ketchikan! Our guide Rick has lived in Ketchikan for over 30…read moreyears and was a font of local as well as Alaskan knowledge. Rick really cared that we have a great experience while in Ketchikan. The Honda Odyssey van was spacious enough for the four of us. Rick had pairs of binoculars and waters for us. He took us to a place to see black bears catching and feasting on salmon. We saw Bald Eagles and just missed seeing an orca. While on Creek Street, a black bear emerged from under a building to eat blueberries and huckleberries. We ate a few too after the bear moved on. Rick took us to a totem pole park and gave a great tour and history of totem poles. We took many tours while in Alaska and this was by far the most enjoyable one. You can't beat having a private tour with a guide who is proud of his town and wants you to have a great experience.

Leon our tour guide was awesome and very knowledgeable of Ketchikan. He went above and beyond the…read moretour listed. He also take great photos with you in them. When I come back I will book an all day tour to see more.

Date of visit: July 19, 2025…read more We had just a couple brief moments here after our tour of the nearby Totem Park but I was able to use the time to find a fun little Alaskan souvenir for my employees at a great price. The store carries a variety of items, but just watch the Sale items as some of them seem more like things that should be thrown away than sold at a reduced price. While my interaction with staff was brief, it was pleasant; you could do worse than this little outlet for some souvenirs of your time in The Last Frontier.

Came here for a tour and then stopped in the gift shop to purchase a few things that looked like…read morenative Alaskans made! This gift shop had some neat things inside, and it was nice to see the different items to buy and take home for myself and other friends. I didn't buy any authentic-looking totem poles but found some stuffed animals replicas of Alaskan wildlife that I knew a young relative would enjoy holding and snuggling with.

We were on a cruise and hadn't booked anything (fortunately) in Ketchikan. Having an open schedule…read moreallowed us to find Lisa's van around the pier and we asked her about her tour services. We were so pleased with her tour! She is a local and of Tlingit heritage. Her perspective was unique and she shared some of her rich family history with us. We also loved having the ability to make special requests to see things - something that we couldn't do on a bus tour. At one stop (looking for bears) a busload of people were starting to load and a lady asked us how much we paid for our private tour. We told her. She said she wished her and her husband would have booked with Lisa. While our private tour was a bit more expensive than their excursion booked through their cruise line, she said their bus tour was really disappointing. On the other hand, Lisa knew where to take us, went off script to let us look for bears and took us to very interesting local places. We saw a whale spout beside the road and were able to turn around and watch it. We went and left at our pace. She brought her native family drum and sang a couple of Tlingit songs for us. She explained the significance of the totem poles and talked to us about her family. Some still live in a very traditional manner. She knows all the local people and is well known and liked. I highly recommend contacting Lisa and booking a 3 hour tour if you prefer a more individualized experience.

I booked a tour with Lisa in 2019. I had to cancel soon after booking as COVID cancelled all…read moretravel. I had paid in full for a tour (over $200) which Lisa had reassured me a full refund for any cancellations. She kept promising to refund me and to this day I have not received any reimbursement from her. I have emails saved of all communication with her to prove this statement as true.

Date of tour: July 18, 2025…read more Really enjoyed this all-women(!) crew on our visit to the Dawes Glacier. The boat was clean and spacious--there's nothing worse than being on a boat that is packed to the gills with people--with two levels to enjoy and outside areas as well, including a third level that was opened when the boat was not in motion. Everyone was friendly and the snack and drink options were plentiful and for the most part, affordable. Given the captive audience, I appreciated that they weren't outright gouging us during our journey. They also offered up some free items as well, which was also quite unexpected. Crew interacted well with the passengers, asking them how their cruise has been and where they were from. The collection of glacier ice to be used in the making of drinks at no additional cost was a nice touch, even giving the kids cups of glacier ice without a charge was something you rarely see in this day and age! There were some things that could be improved, though: - The captain scolding the crew over the public address system was unnecessary. Apparently the other boat forgot their net and we needed to pass it over to them but the crew was busy helping passengers and didn't want to make the lines longer by going to fetch the net and pass it over. Confident that this could have been handled better. - The free donut holes were awful. Like puffs of stale bread that sat next to sugar, hoping the wind would blow some sweetness onto them. I know, it's free, but still something that should not have been served. - Hearing a crew member awkwardly navigate the tipping section of the credit card machine literally 50 times the exact same way. Saying, "You can just hit skip. If I do it, I'll get talked to about it." There are so many other ways to handle this that don't come across like she's going to be beaten at the end of the cruise.

Through an unfortunate series of events, we missed the boat by 10 minutes, but this operator…read moregraciously have us a refund. We have taken this adventure in the past and it is awesome!